Apparatus for applying stoppers to bottles.



No. 778,566. MEN TED 1330.127, 1904 H. GOALE & L. s. GRBENSFELDBR.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING STOPPERS T0 BOTTLES.

. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

No. 778.566. PATENTED DEC. 27,1904. H. GOALE & L. S. GREENSFELDBR.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING STOPPERS TO BOTTLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR, 1, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIIIUW" JWTZJI Uriiinn Parawr Patented December 2'7, 190%.

.FFTQEQ APPARATUS FOR APPLYING STOPPERS TO BOTTLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 778,566, dated December 27, 1904,

Application filed March 1,1904 Serial N0- 195,964.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HARVEY (JoALE and LEWIS S. GREENsFnLDER, citizens of the United States, residing at Baltimore, Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Applying Stoppers to Bottles, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to apparatus for applying stoppers to bottles, and particularly of that class in which a metallic stopper is expanded within the mouth of the bottle, the said stopper carrying a sealing gasket or medium which is compressed between the stopper and the inner wall of the bottle-mouth.

The invention consists of the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view through the apparatus, some of the parts being shown in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a side view of a modification, which modification relates to the manner of securing the apparatus to atable instead of to the wall. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the operating-handle and the adjustable stop carried thereby.

Referring to Fig. 1, the apparatus comprises a casing or cylinder 1, having formed therewith arms or brackets 2, connected to a baseplate 3, adapted to be secured to a wall or like support, so as to maintain the cylinder or casing with its axis vertically disposed. The cylinder is screw-threzuled at 4 and carries a ring 5, screw-tln'eaded thereon, which ring holds in place between itself and a partition 6 within the cylinder an expander-head 7, which comprises a number of depending jaws 8, carried by shanks 9, arranged to slide horizontally in the expander-head, being pressed inwardly by an encircling spring 10, fitting in notches 11 of the shanks. The depending jaws are adapted to move radially, and when in normal position they form a downwardly-projecting part having substantially an unbroken periphery and adapted to enter the bottle-mouth to expand the metallic stopper therein. The

jaws have inclined inner edges 12, forming an inverted conical recess to receive an expanded plunger or plug 13 in the form of an inverted cone, the said plug having a screw-threaded connection 14 with a plunger 15. This plunger has screw-threaded thereon a sleeve 16, provided with a flange 17, between which and a flange 18 on a second sleeve 19, slidably arranged on the plunger, a spiral spring 20 is located. The upper sleeve 18 is held on the plunger by a nut 21, and it is pressed down when the expanding action is to take place by means of a hand-lever 22, pivoted at 23 in ears 2 1, formed on the cylinder, the said hand-lever near its pivot being provided with a cam or working surface 25, bearing on the end of a lever 26, which is pivoted in ears 27, formed on the cylinder, the latter lever 26 having a working surface 28, bearing on the cup-shaped head 29, the edges of which lie in a recess in the upper face of the sleeve 19 and bear upon the said upper face. By operating hand-lever 22 the lever 26 will be operated, forcing down the sleeve 19 and through the spring and sleeve 16 forcing down the plunger 15, with the expander plug or cone 13, which, contacting with the inclines on the expander-jaws, will spread them apart against the tension of spring 10, and thus expand the metallic stopper at the mouth of the bottle, it being understood that the head of the bottle projects upwardly through the opening within the collar or ring 5. The parts are so adjusted that when the expanding action is completed further pressure applied through the hand-lever 22 will be taken up by the spring 20, it being observed that the sleeve 19 is free to move downwardly on the plunger 15, and thus compress the spring without giving further movement to the expander plug or cone. By this arrangement rupture of the bottle will be prevented. In order to lift the parts to their former position, a spring 30 is provided between the flange 17 and the partition 6.

IVith the apparatus as above described we combine an adjustable stop to positively limit 5 the movement of the handle 22, so that the movement of the expander plug or cone will be positively arrested at the desired point in the movement of the parts. For this purpose we provide the lever 26 with a projection 31, I extending upwardly, and on the hand-lever 22 we provide a plate 32, carrying a projection 33, having an outwardly and upwardly inclined edge 34, which is adapted to contact with the end of the projection 31,before men- 5 tioned. The plate 32,with its stop or projection 33, is adjustably mounted on the hand-lever 22 by means of a screw 35 passing through a slot 36 in the said plate and into the handle. By adjusting the plate up or down along the handle the high or low part of the stop or projection 33 may be brought into position to strike the projection 31, and thus arrest the downward movement of the parts and the expanding action of the jaws 8. The plate, as 5 will be seen in Fig. 3. is of channeled form and [its on and is guided by the edge of the operating-handle.

In Fig. 2 weshow a modified form of apparatus, in which the casing has, like the form 3 first described, a pair of supporting-arms 2 extending laterally therefrom; but instead of being formed with or secured to a base-plate these arms are intended to fit above and. below a table-top or other ledge, in which position the apparatus is clamped by a plate 36, swiveled to the top of a screw 37 passing up through the lower arm 2 the said screw being turned by a hand-lever 38 passing loosely through the lower head on the screw. It will 4 be noticed that by the above arrangement hand-lever and supplemental lever--a slight movement of the hand-lever will effect the necessary length of stroke of the plunger. The hand-lever stands normally at a slight inclination over the casing or frame and away from the wall, if the apparatus is thus supported. In removing the plunger and other parts or in replacing them the casing is left entirely unobstructed at its upper end by 5 simply removing the handlever and turning back the lever 26 from over the casing. The hand-lever has a stop 22* to hold it in the position shown in Fig. 1 against the springpressure.

lVe claim as our invention 1. In an apparatus for applying stoppers to bottles, the combination of expanding jaws, a plunger for expanding the said jaws, a handlever and a pivoted lever interposed between the hand-lever and the said plunger, substantially as described.

2. In combination in an apparatus for applying stoppers to bottles, the combination of expanding jaws, a plunger for expanding the said jaws, a casing or frame holding the expanding jaws and plunger, a hand-lever pivoted at one side of the frame and a powertransmitting lever pivoted on the other side of the frame and extending toward the pivot of the hand-lever and arranged to operate the plunger, substantially as described.

3. In combination, in an apparatus for applying stoppers to bottles, a casing or frame, expanding jaws, a hand-lever and a transmitting-lever pivoted at different points on the frame, the latter being arranged to be operated by the former, and a plunger arranged to be operated by the transmitting-lever, sul stantially as described.

I. In combination, the frame, expanding jaws, the plunger, a hand-lever and an adjustable stop carried by the said lever, substantially as described.

5. In combination, the frame, expanding jaws, the plunger, a hand-lever and an adj ustable stop carried by the said lever, said stop comprising a projection with an inclined edge, substantially as described.

6. In combination, the frame, ex 'ianding jaws, a plunger, a hand-lever for operating the plunger and a stop of channeled form ad: justable on the edge of the hand-lever, substantially as described.

7. In combination in an apparatus for applying stoppers to bottles, expanding jaws, a plunger, a hand-lever, a supplemental lever between the hand-lever and the plunger for operating the latter, said supplemental lever being operated by the hand-lever and a part of said supplemental lever serving as a stop for the hand-lever, substantially as described.

8. In combination in an apparatus for ap plying stoppers to bottles, expanding jaws, a plunger, a hand-lever, a supplemental lever operated by the hand-lever and in turn operating the plunger, said. supplemental lever having a projection or arm extending there from to act as a stop for the hand-lever, sub stantially as described.

9. In combination in an apparatus for applying stoppers to bottles, a frame, expanding means, a plunger, a hand-lever pivoted to the frame, a supplemental lever pivoted to the frame and having its free end extending over the plunger and toward the pivot of the handlever which lever near its pivot bears thereon, substantially as described.

10. In combination in an apparatus for applying stoppers to bottles, a frame, expanding means, a plunger, a hand-lever pivoted to the frame, a supplemental lever pivoted to the frame and having its free end extending over the plunger and toward the pivot of the handlever, which lever near its pivot bears thereon, said hand-lever having an adjustable stop wardly under the pressure of the spring, subprovided with an inclined edge, and the said stantially as described.

supplemental lever having an arm or projec- 1n testimonywhereof We aflix our signatures tion to be engaged by the said inclined stop, in presence of tWo witnesses. 5 substantially as described.

11. In combination, the casing, a spring gi fi if pressed plunger therein, expanding jaws, a hand-lever and a transmitting-lever between l/Vitnesses: the hand-lever and the plunger and a stop for HOWARD D. ADAMS, Io limiting the movement of the hand-lever out- BEN. L. GREENSFELDER. 

